A Slice of Life
by Jecir
Summary: A look into what life could be like for Naruto and Iruka had the Yondaime not died.


A Slice of Life

A Slice of Life

By: Jecir

"NARUTO!!" The cry echoed through the quiet village of Konoha, sending a flock of unsuspecting birds to flight in fright.

Two Chuunin teachers ran down the street after a young ninja with spiky blond hair and laughing blue eyes. His orange jacket flew open as he turned a corner, taunting his teachers all the way with, "You'll never catch me! I'm the greatest ninja in the world!"

His teachers growled in indignation and turned the corner only to find a puff of smoke where a runaway student was supposed to be.

"Damn it!" one hissed as he ran his fingers through sweaty black hair. "Where did he go?"

"Split up," his companion said. "Search his usual hiding spots."

"Roger." As one, they disappeared in search of the rogue child.

Naruto snickered as he watched them go. He crouched under a nearby roof, hiding in the shadows. "Those dimwits," he said as he stood.

No one was going to stop him from his mission. He looked at his watch. He only had twenty minutes. He had to go. The eight-year-old formed a hand sign and concentrated hard on the teleportation jutsu. He could feel his chakra rushing through his veins. Just a bit more…

"Got ya!"

Naruto let out a yelp as he was yanked up by the back of his collar. Feet dangling over the edge of the roof he had been hiding under moments ago, the young boy came face-to-face with a white, porcelain mask decorated with black strips and fashioned into the face of a dolphin. "Na-ru-to…" the youthful voice from behind the mask was straining for patience. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Naruto crossed his arms, refusing to answer.

The ANBU stood up, keeping a firm grip on the boy, and said, "You need to stop running off like that! Do you know how dangerous it is for you to be alone? If something were to happen to you—"

"I can take care of myself, Iruka no baka!" Naruto snapped, sticking his tongue out at the ANBU.

"Sure," Iruka said, lifting his mask and giving the boy a one over. "Eight years old, you know everything, right?"

Naruto grinned slyly. "I know how to do this!"

Before Iruka could react, Naruto had formed the hand sign and vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Shit!" Iruka opened his senses. "Where are you?" He spread his chakra out over the village like a net and waited.

There!

Hands sliding into a sign, Iruka disappeared after his charge.

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"Yondaime-sama, here are the day's mission requests that need to be approved as soon as possible. We've also received several invitations from other villages requesting your presences at a some important events coming up in the next month. After that, you need to approve the Chuunin exam schedule as well as the list of candidates for Jounin and ANBU. And have you responded to the Kazikage's letter?"

Minato Namikaze had long since blocked out his assistant's voice. Kami, he was so bored. Staring out the window over looking the village, he sighed heavily. It was such a nice day. The perfect day to go out on a picnic with his adorable son. But no, he had important work to do for the village. Mainly paperwork. Minato hated paperwork. He wondered what Naruto was doing. If he knew his son, the little runt was trying to sneak out of class. Minato looked at the clock. That meant he should expect his son in three…two…one…

"OTOU-SAN!!" Naruto burst through the window, a huge grin on his face.

An enraged Iruka followed close behind, hands outstretched, trying to grab the young ninja. Naruto landed on the desk just as Iruka grabbed him. However, the young ANBU was unable to stop his momentum. They both slid off the desk, sending the stacks of paperwork into the air. Iruka twisted so that his back hit the wall instead of the Yondaime's son.

Minato's assistant began to sputter, his eyes widening behind his wire-rim glasses. All the paperwork! It was everywhere! He began to pick it up, all the while trying to form a coherent sentence. "Honorable son!" he finally said. "What do you think you're doing!"

"Escaping from school again, from the looks of it," came a disapproving voice from the other side of the room.

Naruto wiggled his way out of Iruka's grasp, saying to the wolf-faced ANBU, "I wanted to have lunch with my otou-san!"

The wolf ANBU shook his head. To the assistant, he said, "Leave."

"But….but…!" he sputtered, but one look from the intimidating man silenced him. "Very well." He bowed to the Yondaime and hurried out.

"Kakashi," Minato chided lightly. "Stop scaring away my assistants. It's getting harder to replace them." He spread his arms. Naruto hurried into his fathers lap and laughed as they hugged. "You've been practicing your teleportation jutsu," he observed with more than a little pride in his voice.

"Yep!" Naruto nodded. "I used it to escape from Iruka no baka!"

"Oh really?" Kakashi wondered in a dry tone.

Iruka shot him a hateful look as he shifted to his knees and bowed his head. "Gomen nasai, Yondaime-sama. I lost your son. I will take whatever punishment you deem necessary."

"Lighten up, Iruka-kun," Minato said with a smile. "We're still in the village. He's safe here. I know you won't let anything happen to him, even if he escapes you for a few seconds."

Though he had meant it as a compliment to his son, Iruka flinched as if he had been rebuked. He looked back at Kakashi. He could feel the man's disdain. Turning away, he stood and bowed once more. "I will take Naruto back to class now."

"No!" Naruto whined. He hugged his father. "I want to stay with Otou-san!"

The hairs on the back of Iruka's neck began to rise. Thankfully, Minato intervened. "Now, Naruto, otou-san has a lot of work he has to do. You go back to school, learn everything you can, and tonight, when I get home, we'll go get ramen."

"Yatta!" Naruto bounced. "With extra meat?"

"Anything you want," Minato said with a laugh. He ruffled his son's hair. "But only if you get back to class."

"Hai!" Naruto hurried out the window.

"Ah!" Iruka jumped after him. In his hurry, he forgot to bow respectfully to the Yondaime.

Minato watched them disappear, a fond smile on his face. Both boys were growing up so quickly.

He sensed Kakashi at his side before the young man spoke. "Why do you entrust your son's safety to him? He is barely Chuunin level, yet you grant him the title of ANBU and the honor of guarding your son."

Minato's face grew wistful and a bit sad as he answered. "You know why, Kakashi. Iruka's parents sacrificed everything to protect this village from the kyuubi."

"Understood. Many lives were lost that night. But your son—"

"Is in better hands than you think," Minato said. "Despite what you may think, Iruka is the most qualified ninja in the village to watch over Naruto."

"Him?" Kakashi scoffed. "A Chuunin?"

Minato didn't answer. This was an argument he and Kakashi had had many times. His young protégé would never understand. Though Iruka lacked the skills of a normal ANBU, he had the proper skills to be Naruto's guardian. Ever since he had brought the young boy into his home, Iruka had looked after Naruto. He protected him with all he had, and what was more, he had the ability to know exactly where the boy had gone when no one else could find him. After years of living together, Iruka knew all of Naruto's tricks. These were the qualities Minato held highest when it came to choosing someone to protect his son. Iruka was more than Naruto's bodyguard; he was his brother. And an elder brother was the best protection. Yes, Naruto was perfectly safe under Iruka's care.

"Yondaime-sama!" his assistant popped his head back in. "I understand that you do not want me here at the moment, but I must insist! There is just far too much work to complete!"

Minato rolled his eyes. "Back to work," he grumbled.

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"When's otou-san coming home?" Naruto whined.

"The Yondaime will be home when he finishes his work," Iruka answered. "Now get back to work. You're not going out with the Yondaime until you get one hundred bull eyes."

"Iruka, hidoi!" Naruto stuck his tongue out at him but resumed his training.

Iruka smiled as the watched the young lad throw shuriken and kunai at the target.

He couldn't believe it had been eight years since the kyuubi attack. The young ninja shook his head. Eight years since he had come to live with the Yondaime. Time certainly had flown. Looking at Naruto, he understood why. After his parents died, he had lost his purpose, but when the Yondaime took him in, he found a new one. Naruto was the Yondaime's son. His parents had died to protect the Yondaime. He would die to protect the Yondaime's son.

"Ah! That one doesn't count, Naruto! Do it again!"

"Stingy!"

Iruka kept a sharp eye on the boy as the sun began to set. Another day closed in their peaceful life. Still, he wondered, if things had turned out differently, where would they be now? Iruka shook his head. No point wondering that. All that mattered was here and now.

"If you don't finish, the ramen shop will be closed."

"No!" Naruto's howl echoed over the quiet village, as did Iruka's laughter.

Yes, no use wondering. For here, life was good.

AN: Done! I've had this idea for quite some time. I always liked the idea of Iruka being Naruto's bodyguard. Anyway, speaking of which, does anyone knwo where I can find some good father/son/brothers pics of Naruto and Iruka? Everytime I google search or search DiviantART, all I get are KakaIru pics! ER! I don't want KakaIru pics, I want pics of Naruto and Iruka being awesome!! :sob: Um...ahem...anyway, can someone please tell me where I can find some?? Anyway, thanks for reading!


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